


Life Starts After 6pm

by Fearlesskiki



Series: Benni Bear [1]
Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Benni is literary me, Except that I don't have a Manuel, Falling In Love, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Nutella, Nutella brings people together, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-03-30 15:04:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3941275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fearlesskiki/pseuds/Fearlesskiki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A day in the life of an ordinary guy, Benedikt Höwedes, a typical office worker who has a not so ordinary life after work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Guten Morgen, Benni Bear!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [People Fall in Love in Mysterious Ways](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3637440) by [Fearlesskiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fearlesskiki/pseuds/Fearlesskiki). 



> *Everything in this fiction is just a fandom and not related to the real people and brands stated in the fiction.*
> 
> Characters:  
> Benedikt "Benni" Höwedes - A regular guy who works in an office  
> Manuel Neuer - Captain and goalkeeper of FC Schalke 04  
> Lisa Wesseler - Benni's friend and colleague  
> Julian Draxler - Manuel's teammate  
> Mats Hummels - Benni's roommate  
> Isabella (original character) - A famous singer that tries to have an affair with Manuel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benni starts his day hoping for the best. But things are not as smooth as he thinks. He remembers the day he met his true love.

**7.00am**

*alarm rings*

 

Benni opens his eyes slowly, then stretches his limbs after snoozing his alarm. He covers himself with a blanket, rolls his body from left to right, right to left on his bed, reluctant to get up. The guy finally drags himself out of the bed after 5 minutes of procrastination. It's a working day. Benni never looks forward to a working day. Well, maybe the first day of work but that was months ago. But at least, today is a Friday. And thank god it's Friday. He scratches his head with his still half-asleep mode and heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face and shave his facial hair. He smiles at his own reflection in the mirror, giving himself a little motivation to work. After refreshing himself, he goes to his cupboard to pick his clothes from his well-organised wardrobe. He puts on a Schalke jersey and a pair of skinny jeans as Fridays are casual days. Everyone is allowed to wear casual on Fridays.

 

"Hier[1], Angel!" Benni commands his Corgi. Angel comes to Benni after hearing her name. "Sitz[2]! Brave Hund[3]!"

 

Benni strokes Angel's head. The Corgi sits patiently to wait for its meal. Benni carefully opens a can of dog food and pours it into the dog bowl. He then serves it to Angel. After making sure he got his wallet, phone, keys and other essentials in his bag, he grabs a blue cap on his way out. 

 

**7.40am**

Benni puts on his blue cap backwards and heads to the bus station to wait for a bus. When he arrives the bus station, there is already a number of people waiting in the line. While waiting for the bus to arrive, Benni takes out his phone and taps into his picture gallery. He slowly swipes the photos from the photo gallery which he named  _Italy trip._ He stops at one of the photos and starts giggling. People at his surroundings are staring at him but he doesn't seem to care. The bus arrives after 10 minutes, and Benni puts his phone back into his pocket.

 

Benni hops onto the bus. He got himself a nice seat at the right side of the lane. Then, he saw an old lady standing beside him, so the young guy surrenders his seat to the old lady. Benni's phone vibrates. He takes out his phone and the screen shows a message from Bae. He taps his phone to check the message.

 

_Bae: Guten Morgen[4], Benni bear! Can't wait to see you tonight! XOXO_

 

Benni smiles at the message and replies.

 

_Benni bear: I wish it's Abend[5] instead of Morgen. By the way, I love you first ;)_

 

And then he receives a reply.

 

_Bae: Nein[6], I will always love you first! I told you first :P_

 

**8.20am**

Benni reaches his destination and gets off the bus. He goes to the regular bakery shop that is situated near his office building. The blond guy grabs two pieces of croissants and heads to the counter. He then thought of treating himself a cup of Starbucks, which is at the next store, because it's a Friday after all. He orders a Mocha Frappuccino in Venti and heads to his office.

 

If Benni has to choose that one thing he hates the most, it would be the company's elevator. His office building is having a major renovation, and half of the elevators are closed to make way for new elevators. Today, there is a huge crowd standing at the front of the elevator. This isn't normal. As he reaches the elevator door, he sees an "out of order" sign. _What a great start for the day_ , he thinks to himself. After a while, the elevator finally reaches the ground floor. People are flocking into the elevator because that is only one functioning at the moment. Benni didn't manage to squeeze in the first one, or the second one either. He was pushed into the third one. People are pushing and squeezing in the elevator, leaving Benni almost no room to breathe. Another thing about elevators is that awkward silence of few minutes. Benni didn't know what to do with those blank expressions from the strangers. If his office isn't located at 19th floor, he'll rather take the stairs. If Bae is here, he would probably mimic those blank expressions and make snarky remarks that both of them would laugh about. When the elevator reaches the 10th floor, some of the people rush out from the elevator, bumping to Benni's shoulders and pretend like nothing happened. At least, they should have said sorry. As soon as the elevator reaches the 19th floor, Benni walks out from the elevator. He looks at the paper bag that contains his squished croissants and lets out a sigh. 

 

Benni walks to his workstation and sits on his chair. He likes his little workstation. It is simple and clean. There is a desktop, a Schalke mug, a jar of Nutella, a few souvenir magnets and a photo frame. There are still fifteen minutes before 9 am and he thought why not putting this time to a good use. Benni takes out his phone from his pocket, taps on the Duolingo app and opens the Spanish lesson. He types down the answers to the lessons while munching his squished croissant. They blond guy heard a voice talking to him.

 

"So, you're learning Spanish?"

 

It is his colleague Lisa Wesseler. Lisa is Benni's colleague and the only one that he could consider as a friend here. She came on the same day as Benni, and she often likes to tease Benni. Lisa is probably the only thing that Benni likes about his job apart from his nice pay cheque because Benni doesn't like his job. Maybe dislike is an underestimated word. Benni hates his job. But he doesn't have much choice. The economy isn't doing well at the moment and some of his course mates are struggling to get a job. Benni is consider one of the lucky ones to land a job that pays really good for a fresh grad. So he shouldn't complain that much. But there is nothing interesting or fun about processing jobs no matter how hard you try. It's always the same old things every day. Retrieve data, key in data, analyse, generate the report, and repeat. Even the people who work in the office excluding Lisa seems to be boring. They just have no sense of humour. Benni has tried to joke around with his colleagues, but they don't seem to get it. So having Lisa around is definitely a big plus. But one thing about Lisa is that she sometimes can be a busybody.

 

"Aha! What's this?" she snatches the photo frame from Benni's workstation. Benni gasps. He tries to get back the photo frame from Lisa but failed. It's too late. The girl already got her hands on the photo frame. The photo in the frame consists of two people, dressing shirts, standing next to each other, smiling. The left side is Benni and the right is a famous footballer. Lisa looks at the picture closely.

 

"Neuer? Is this Manuel Neuer? You actually met him?" Lisa asked, and points the person on the right side of the photo. "God, I'm so jealous of you."

 

"Erm... ja[7]. I just happened to bump into him that day." Benni replied nervously. That photo was the first photo they have taken together. He will never forget the day he met Manuel. It was at a café nearby his University. He was a finance student working as a part-time waiter, and Manuel was a rising star in FC Schalke. Benni works in a café because he wanted to earn some extra money for a new PlayStation. It was his first week of working. He was holding a cup of espresso, walking to serve his customer and suddenly a man gets up from his seat and turns around, bumps into Benni's saucer. The espresso from the cup that Benni is holding has spilled all over the man's shirt and trousers. And that man happens to be Manuel Neuer, which is one of Benni's favourite football player.  _Congratulations, Benedikt Höwedes. You just poured espresso on your idol. On the first week of working. Great. Just great. You can say goodbye to his autographs or photos from the man._

 

"Oh mein gott[8]! Entschuldigung[9]!" said Benni. He quickly grabs a damp cloth to wipe off the coffee stain on Manuel's white shirt. 

 

"It's okay," Manuel replied. He stops Benni from wiping his shirt by grabbing the young man's hand. "I'll do it myself."

 

Benni still feels bad for spilling the coffee. But he is too nervous and just stood there like a stone. The café manager saw the incident and rushes to the spot. He shouts to Benni. "Benni! What are you doing?"

 

"Sorry, it's my fault. I'll pay for the coffee," said Manuel. Since Manuel doesn't seem to be angry at Benni, the manager is relieved and walks away. Manuel continues to wipe the stains of his shirt with no avail. 

 

"Try using vinegar, or egg yolk with warm water." said Benni, who is trying to make up for the mistake.

 

"Thanks for the tip," Manuel replied, and he glances to Benni's name tag. "Benni."

 

Benni sighs. He is pretty sure that he will get a complain letter tomorrow, as Manuel has taken note of his name. But he couldn't do anything much to save the situation. He just prays that the manager won't fire him for that.

 

A fan from across the table has recognised Manuel from the incident and jumps in to ask for a photo taken with the goalkeeper. Benni senses that Manuel doesn't want to have that photo with a spilled coffee shirt but the goalkeeper still politely agrees to his fan's request. The fan asks Benni to be their photographer. Manuel spots Benni's blue Schalke wristband when the latter receives the smartphone from the fan.

 

"You're a Schalke fan too?" asked Manuel. 

 

"Ja!" Benni replied with a smile.

 

After taking the photo, Benni gives back the phone to the fan and is going to continue his work. He wanted a photo with Manuel too, but he can't because he's on duty. He can only envy that lucky fan. Manuel looks at the young student.

 

"Benni, do you want a photo too?" asked Manuel. 

 

"Well... yes, of course. I'm honoured," said Benni with a sunshine smile. He is gobsmacked by Manuel's request.

 

**9.00am**

It is 9 am and Benni starts his work by clicking on the software that he's going to use for his report. He types his username and password and then clicks enter. Nothing happens after that. The screen becomes blank.

 

"Benni, is your screen blanks too?" Lisa asked.

 

"Yup," Benni replied. Apparently the system has gone down. The whole department couldn't start their work because of that. Benni looks at the time, and he hopes that the system would restore earlier as he would like to leave the office on time today. There is a Schalke game tonight and he wouldn't want to be late for the game. Since Benni has nothing to do for now, he takes out a piece of paper from his wallet. It is a complimentary note to him.

 

_Huge compliments to your staff Benni, who is very helpful to the customers. And he always smiles :)_

_\- Manuel_

Benni smiles at the note. He received that note a day after he met Manuel. He thought that was the only time he could meet Manuel in person, but he was wrong. And thankfully he was wrong. Manuel came back to the café after five days from their first meeting. He sits at the same place that he sat the last time, and he is alone again like the last time. Benni approaches him with a menu in his hand. He hands the menu to Manuel.

 

"Möchten Sie gerne einen Kaffee haben[10], Herr[11] Neuer?" asked Benni.

 

"Sie[12]?" he chuckles. "I don't think I'm that old compared to you. And you can call me Manuel, or Manu."

 

"Okay, Herr... Oops, I mean Manuel." Benni replied sheepishly.

 

"Cappuccino, bitte[13]," Manuel replied and hands back the menu to Benni. Few minutes later Benni serves Manuel a cup of cappuccino. Manuel looks at him.

 

"Benni, do you have any plans after work?" Manuel asked.

 

"Huh?" the confused Benni responded. He had no idea why Manuel asked this question.

 

"I need you to pick a shirt for me. You still owe me a shirt, you know," said Manuel. He didn't smile when he said that, and that worries Benni. He thought everything was fine when he receives the complimentary note. But it seems that Manuel still insists him to pay for the shirt. And since Manuel knows where he is working, he can't run away from the Schalke goalkeeper.

 

"Erm... No. I have no plans. But I still have an hour to go before my shift ends." Benni replied.

 

"Okay. I'll wait for you." Manuel responded.

 

After an hour, Benni heads to the locker to get his bag. He then meets Manuel at the latter's table. Manuel took him to his car, which is a Volkswagen, parked nearby the café. It is a new car, and it still has that scent of a new car. Benni sits on the passenger seat while Manuel is on the driver's seat. Manuel starts the car engine.

 

"You're an amazing goalkeeper. I like watching you play," said Benni with a smile. He wants to start the conversation with a positive note, and hopefully it makes Manuel mood better.

 

"Well, I still have a lot to prove," Manuel replied, with his head tilt to the side. Manuel seems quite humble in person, and Benni is relief about that. They continue to chat about Benni's background, studies, Manuel's life... Everything seems to be fine until Benni pops a question out of nowhere. 

 

"Uhm... do you mind if I ask a question?"

 

"It's okay. What is it?" Manuel responded.

 

"Do you always drink alone?" the younger man asked.

 

"Well, yes. I like to gather some thoughts alone sometimes, and stay away from the football world." Manuel answered. "Football can be crazy sometimes."

 

There is silence in the car after Manuel's answer. Benni taps his finger on his lap, wondering whether it was a bad move to ask that question. But thankfully they reach their destination after a few minutes. Manuel brings Benni to the Hugo Boss shop. Benni looks at the shop, feeling very nervous. It is a really high-end shop. The interior looks really spacious, with only a few racks, some mannequins and a few comfortable chairs. Manuel walks into the shop like a regular customer and is greeted by the staffs. Benni follows the goalkeeper. Manuel goes to the shirt section and begins to browse through the shirts. He picks a white shirt and asks Benni.

 

"What do you think about this one?"

 

"Hmm... it looks old on you," Benni replied. He then removes a shirt from a rack and continues "Here, try this. I think it will look good on you."

 

"Okay, I'll try it," Manuel said with a warm smile. He goes into the dressing room with the shirt that Benni picks. While waiting for Manuel to come out, Benni pops a mint into his mouth and continue to browse the shirts. He selects another two shirts for Manuel to try on. Manuel comes out from the dressing room, and he looks stunning. Like James, James Bond. Benni's jaw opens wide. He did not realise that he dropped the two shirts that he was holding.

 

"It fits perfectly. How do you know my size?" asked Manuel. The goalkeeper adjusts the shirt. He seems very pleased with the shirt.

 

"Erm... it's just a wild guess," said Benni nervously. His palms are getting sweaty. He then realised that he dropped the shirts. The young man quickly grabs the shirts up from the floor. He puts them away and takes identical shirts from the rack and passes them to Manuel. Manuel looks at Benni with his big blue eyes.

 

"Well, you haven't told me how I look." said Manuel.

 

"You look stunning!" Benni replied with a smile.

 

"Thank you," Manuel replied with a smile too. He walks back to the dressing room to try out the second shirt that Benni picked. While waiting for Manuel, Benni takes out his wallet. There are only 23 Euros in his wallet. He takes a peek at the price tag of the first shirt and it costs 129.95 Euros. Benni is astounded by the price, as the young man could buy 6 shirts with that money. There's no way he could afford to pay for that shirt. He chokes his mint and starts to cough excessively with his hand clutches to his throat. The staff spots Benni and starts to panic, she runs around and asks how Benni is doing. Another staff starts to call for emergency. This moment, Manuel comes out from the dressing room and sees Benni choking. He runs towards Benni, stands behind him and wrap his arms around Benni's waist and bends the young man forward. He places his clenched fist above Benni’s navel. Manuel place his other hand on top, then thrust both hands backwards into Benni's stomach with a hard, upward movement, and he checks the blockage. He repeats the process until the mint comes out of Benni's throat. One of the staffs hands a cup of water to Benni. Benni coughs a few times and then sips the water from the cup.

 

"Are you alright?" asked Manuel in concern. "Let's do this another time. Come, I'll send you home." 

 

"No, no, don't mind me," said Benni as he waves his hands excessively. He took a few breaths and continues "I prefer the first one."

 

"Me too. The first one it is." Manuel grins. The goalkeeper is going to pay for the shirt, but Benni grabbed his arm. Manuel looks at him. Benni remembered that he didn't have enough money to pay for the shirt. He gulps and whispers in Manuel's ear.

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't bring enough money today."

 

"Hahaha..." Manuel begins to laugh hysterically. "I don't expect a student to pay for my shirt, silly. Oh Benni, you never cease to amaze me."

 

Manuel and Benni both head to the counter. Manuel takes out his wallet to pay the shirt with a credit card. He sees Benni staring at the shirt with the corner of his eye. He whispers to Benni's left ear. "Well, I usually shop at Primark[14], but I have a gala to attend to in next two weeks. I need to buy something presentable." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Hier - "come" or "come here" in German  
> [2] Sitz - "sit" in German  
> [3] Brave Hund - "good dog" in German  
> [4] Guten Morgen - "good morning" in German  
> [5] Abend - "evening' in German  
> [6] nein - "no" in German  
> [7] ja - "yes" in German  
> [8] Oh mein gott - "Oh my god" in German  
> [9] Entschuldigung - "Sorry" in German  
> [10] Möchten Sie gerne einen Kaffee haben - "Would you like to have a cup of coffee" in German  
> [11] Herr - "Mr" in German  
> [12] Sie - formal "you" in German  
> [13] Bitte - "please" in German  
> [14] Primark - A famous Irish clothing retailer selling affordable clothes  
> Lisa Wesseler is Benni's girlfriend (now wife) in real life but they are just friends in this story.
> 
> The Spanish lesson is a bit random. It wouldn't make sense if he's learning German or English. Because this story is in English and he's a German. Since Spanish is one of the most spoken languages, and I think most Europeans would learn Spanish as their 2nd or 3rd language.


	2. Life is Hard but Hang in There, Benni Bear!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benni's lifeless life in the office.

**9.20am**

The system has restored and Benni pops his earphones on, taps shuffle with his phone and starts to work. He completes his 1-page long summary report after 45 minutes and clicks the print button. Then, he heads to the printer to collect his paper. There is a huge stack of printed paper on the printing machine. Benni starts to search for his report from that enormous stack of paper, but none of them is the report. He feels disappointed. Then, he realised the printer is jammed. Apparently there is a piece of paper stuck in the machine. He opens the cover, takes out the paper and lets the machine continue its work. But the ink from the printer has smeared on his hands. He had to take a trip to the washroom and clear the ink marks. The blond guy rubs his hands frantically against each other with soap and water, but the ink still won't come out. Feeling frustrated, he gives up and blow dry his hands.

 

**10.17am**

Benni heads over to the printing machine to see if his report has come out. He glances the machine and there is a light blinking, indicating "out of paper". Benni grumbles and went out to get a stack of blank papers. He comes back and feeds the stack of paper into the machine. He patiently waits for the report to come out. This time, he decides to stay at the printing machine to make sure there is no paper jam or lack of paper. But a new challenge came up. The printer ink runs low. _Hooray_. Benni goes to the store room and takes out a new toner. He removes the old toner and inserts a new one. The printer starts printing, but it seems to be printing the same thing over and over again. He checks the printing status and there is another user printing 40 sets of presentation notes. And it is 20 pages for each set. Oh dear. Not to mention he got his hands with ink stains again from changing the toner. That means it's another trip to the washroom.

 

**10.45am**

The printer stops printing as all the tasks are printed. Benni looks for his report from the enormous pile of papers that nobody cares to claim, including some from the ones that Benni has gone through previously. After searching the whole pile, he concluded that the report isn't there. He searches the nearby areas as well, but the report is nowhere to be found. Benni decided to reprint the report. He is very close to getting a meltdown, but thankfully things go smooth this time. He finally got his printed report.

 

**11.00am**

Benni finally gets to stretch for a while. He happily opens the jar of Nutella from his workstation, grabs some biscuit sticks and dips them in Nutella. He still remembers that time he flips out when his mom threw away that unopened jar of Nutella from his room. His mom has a valid reason to do so. That jar of Nutella has already expired months ago. She didn't want to risk her son from getting food poisoning. But there is a reason why Benni treasured that particular jar of Nutella.

 

The young man always like eating chocolates but not to a point that he couldn't live without them. He had his occasional carvings, but that was it. That changed when Manuel introduced him the love of Nutella. And it all started at the café. Manuel went to the café again after 3 weeks from their last meeting, sitting in the same seat as last time. He signals Benni to make an order. Benni comes to him right after he serves a plate of cheesecake to another customer. The younger man takes out his pen and paper, getting ready for Manuel's order. Manuel closes the menu and says

 

"Can I have some Nutella, please?"

 

"Nutella?" asked the confused Benni. He raises his eyebrow. The young man is very sure that Nutella isn't on the menu. So he replies "I'm so sorry, we don't have Nutella here."

 

"Well, that's a shame. Do you know where I could get some?" Manuel said.

 

"Erm... Aldi[1]?" Benni suggested.

 

"Where is that?" asked Manuel.

 

"It's just around the corner. I could bring you there after work." Benni replied. He thought of bringing Manuel there since he wanted to get himself something for dinner too.

 

"Okay, I'll wait for you," Manuel replied with a smile.

 

Benni meets Manuel after work, and together they walk to Aldi. As they are walking on the streets, Benni notices something different about Manuel. Is it because of the dark grey shirt that he's wearing? Is it because of his new haircut? Is it the pants? Because Manuel just looks goddammit sexy today. Benni can't take his eyes off the goalkeeper.

 

When they reached Aldi, Benni brings Manuel to the condiments section and together they search for Nutella. It isn't hard to find because it's a popular product in Aldi. There are plenty of them at the eye level. Both Manuel and Benni stretch their hands to get one, causing a slight friction between the hands of both men. Both men back their hands off from the shelf. Benni's heart races a million miles in an hour. His heart is pounding really hard that he is hoping Manuel didn't notice it. Manuel glances to Benni then continues to grab the Nutella from the shelf. Benni tries to smile. Manuel grabs 3 jars and chucks them in the basket.

 

"Do you like Nutella?" the goalkeeper asked.

 

"Actually, I never tried it before," Benni replied.

 

"What? Oh boy. Where have you been, Benni? Nutella is godly awesome. You have to try it." Manuel said with his eyes looking very passionate. Benni smiles at him. The men proceed to get other things in the supermarket. After getting everything from Benni's list, they head to the counter.

 

"Here, take it," said Manuel as he hands a jar of Nutella to Benni after making the payment. Benni accepts it. Since that day, Nutella has been a part of Benni's life, and he couldn't live without it.

 

**11.30am**

Benni's manager has decided to make a sudden ad-hoc meeting. Benni hates meetings. Meetings are like a slow cook lamb stew. And you're the lamb. Most of the time the meetings are pointless, especially if you have a manager who likes to talk but doesn't listen. Benni swears his manager sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher on a repeating tape. The young man tries hard to stay awake by forcing his eyes wide. But his eyes are heavy and it slowly shuts down. Lisa notices it and she kicks Benni's leg, waking the young man up. Benni is shocked, and then he continues to concentrate on the meeting. Benni looks at the pie chart on the screen generated by the projector. It looks like a meatball. Mmm... meatballs.

 

Spaghetti meatballs are what Benni ordered on his first date with Manuel. He remembers it very well. It was the same day he took Manuel to Aldi. It was almost time for dinner by the time they finished their grocery shopping so Manuel asked Benni if he would like to join him for dinner. Of course, Benni agreed. The younger man didn't have any dinner plans anyway as his roommate Mats has gone out for a date that evening.

 

Manuel brought him to a fancy Italian restaurant. The student just mentioned pizza when the goalkeeper asks about his preference. Benni was actually referring to Pizza Hut. Not some high-end Italian restaurant that serves fresh pasta made by real Italians. The restaurant has a big space with an Italian band playing Italian music. The tables are decorated with green, white and red, which are the colours of the Italian flag. Everyone in the restaurant dresses in formal, except Benni himself, who is wearing a T-shirt. If he had known about this he would have dress better. Benni feels nervous when he steps in the restaurant. His palms became sweaty and he kept looking at the environment of the restaurant. He isn't used to eating in these places. The last time he went to a fancy restaurant was the time he got accepted to University. And that was probably the only time his parents brought him to a fancy restaurant.

 

"Do you always eat in these places?" he whispers to Manuel.

 

"Nah. It's only on special occasions. I usually cook myself or just grab something from the Bistro." Manuel answered.

 

Special occasions? Is there a special occasion today? It's not Manuel's or his birthday. And there's nothing much happened lately. Why would Manuel bring him to a fancy restaurant? He's not a special someone to the Schalke player. Benni thinks hard on this matter. He ponders around and observes the people from the other tables. 9 out of 10 of them are couples. There is a couple across the table, holding hands and whispering something. It suddenly hits him.

 

"Is this a date?" he asked.

 

Manuel froze for a second, then continues "Would you like to think so?"

 

"Erm... Aren't you dating a blond model?" asked Benni.

 

"According to Bild[2], yes. And according to Bild, I'm also dating Rihanna and Emma Stone. Next year I will play for Manchester United." Manuel replied with a snark. Then he continues "I'm single and available, in case you're still in doubt."

 

Benni is relieved after hearing that. But he still couldn't believe that a footballer that could date almost anyone in the world would be interested in an ordinary student like himself. Is this a dream? If it is, Benni wouldn't want to wake up from this dream.

 

**1.00pm**

It's lunchtime. Benni goes down to the street to grab a sandwich from Subway. He grabs a seat and opens the video that Manuel has sent him earlier. It is a short and sweet video about Manuel himself at the training ground. Manuel's teammate Julian is making bunny ears at the back.

 

"Counting down for the game. Six hours to go. I wish you were here. Love you, Benni Bear." Manuel said in the video.

 

Benni giggles by himself watching that short video. He then opens Instagram and scrolls down to a particular photo. The first photo that he took with Manuel. He still remembers that picture was the first photo that Manuel liked. It was the one that they took together at the café. He couldn't believe Manuel actually liked his Instagram photo. It's hard to believe, but it's true. He jumped around the room, screamed and shouted like a mad man. That was what his roommate Mats told him because he didn't remember how he reacted to the situation.

 

**2.36pm**

Lisa has finished her work. She flips through the Bild magazine and stops at an article. The article's title says  _Bastian Schweinsteiger and his new girlfriend Ana Ivanovic in New York_. 

 

"Ha... I knew there is something going on right from the beginning. These superstars always change their partners like changing underwear." said Lisa. She shows the magazine to Benni. Benni glances the magazine and counters her view. 

 

"But he dated his ex for 7 years," Benni replied.

 

"It still doesn't change the fact that he dumped her like trash. These people treat their partners like toys. Now that he's a Deutscher Meister[3] he probably thinks he needs a better girlfriend or something."

 

"I'm sure there's more going on there than meets the eye. We wouldn't know what truly happened." Benni explained.

 

"Trust me. They are all the same." Lisa replied.

 

"Not everyone is like that." said Benni. "Well, Thomas Müller is very loyal to his wife."

 

"Maybe he has a girlfriend in somewhere else? Who knows? And I bet that Manuel Neuer is a playboy." she said.

 

"No, he's not!" Benni raised his voice.

 

Lisa stops talking and looks at Benni for 2 seconds. Why is the man so overreact about this? He doesn't even know the players. But then she still continues to talk. "How do you know? It's not like you're dating him."

 

"Gimme that! This thing is poisoning your mind." Benni snatches the magazine from Lisa and rips it into pieces. The young man doesn't like to read tabloids. 99% of the time they were just bullshit created by reporters. One week they would say Manuel is dating a supermodel and then next week they will say Manuel is going to marry an actress. But sometimes he couldn't avoid it, as his friends would talk about it. But he tries not to think about it too much. He has faith in Manuel.

 

But there was a time that he wasn't so sure about his relationship with Manuel. It happened around 7 months after they started dating. It all started with a Bild magazine. Benni came home from his economy class that day when Mats was reading a magazine. But the roommate quickly hides it behind his back when Benni enters the apartment.

 

"Mats, what was that?" asked Benni with a raised eyebrow. He saw Mats hiding something. 

 

"Nothing. It's just trash," said Mats nervously. He grabs some leaflets from the table and heads to the door, but Benni blocks him at the door. He stares at Mats and then snatches the magazine from Mats' hands. Mats couldn't stop him. Benni takes a look at the cover of the magazine. It is Manuel and a beautiful looking woman. The blond gives back the magazine to Mats and storms to his room.

 

"I'm sure it's fake." Mats talks loudly as Benni walks into his room. But Benni doesn't respond back.

 

If it's just a tabloid header, Benni would have just brushed it off easily. However, the rumour didn't stop there.

 

As Benni is still studying, he couldn't meet up with Manuel all the time. So he often checks out Manuel's news and photos over the internet. Benni logs into his Tumblr account as usual to browse Manuel's photos. But today, his dashboard is full of Manuel's photos with the same woman from the tabloid. The woman looks like a hot babe. After doing some googling, Benni found out that her name is Isabella, a prima donna that has the curves to die for. She is a famous Italian singer that is known from not only her voice but looks as well. She has long brown wavy hair, big bright hazel eyes and full kissable lips. There were not only one or two photos of them together, but a series of photos. Some of them look like it was from different locations. The fans seem to ship Manuel with this woman. Everyone is raving about their relationship. It sounded so real when everyone talks about it. And things gets worse when Manuel doesn't reply Benni's calls and messages on time. Manuel used to call back promptly, but lately it isn't the case anymore. As time goes by, Benni becomes more and more insecure about his relationship with Manuel. Even more when the fact that nobody knows about their relationship yet. That means Manuel could break up this relationship with ease.

 

Manuel and Benni are having 2 months of long distance relationship. Manuel is busy with his football career. He just became the captain in Schalke and the team are busy training for the Champions League and Bundesliga. Benni, on the other hand, is busy with his finals. Both of them have busy schedules, but they managed to communicate through phone calls and messages. At the beginning, they talk on the phone every day for an hour but as time goes on the calls became shorter and lesser. The last call was ten days ago. And the call only lasted 10 minutes. 

 

Benni's semester break has started. Finally, it's the perfect time to meet up. Manuel decides to surprise Benni after his game at Benni's apartment. He rings the door bell and Benni opens the door. The goalkeeper is excited to see his boyfriend. Benni is surprised, but he isn't looking forward to seeing his boyfriend. The younger man doesn't even have a slight of happiness on his face.

 

"Benni! I'm here!" Manuel exclaimed with joy. He kisses Benni's cheek. "Look what I got? Ice cream!!!"

 

Benni remains quiet and fakes a smile. And Manuel could sense that it's a fake smile.

 

"Benni, what happened? Aren't you happy to see me? We' haven't seen each other for 2 months." the Schalke player said.

 

"Nothing. It's just... nothing." Benni mumbled. 

 

"Are you feeling unwell?" asked Manuel with concern. He places his right hand on his boyfriend's forehead. Benni pushes Manuel's hand away. Manuel is shocked by his behaviour. 

 

"No, I'm just... tired." said Benni.

 

"I'll let you rest for a while and then we'll go for dinner later. Okay?" said Manuel. 

 

"No... Just... Just leave me alone!" Benni raised his voice to Manuel. He runs to his room and shuts the door, leaving the confused Manuel at the living room. Manuel walks to the doorstep of Benni's room. He knocks the door of Benni's room and calls him for a few times, but Benni doesn't respond.

 

"Benni! Benni!"

 

Benni drops on his bed and buries his head in his pillow. The truth is, Benni doesn't even know how to deal with his relationship now. He doesn't dare to confront Manuel about the rumour. He's afraid of losing him. He's afraid that Manuel would choose Isabella over him. Because he probably would. Who in the right mind will choose him? Who would choose an average student over a famous sexy babe?

 

**2.47pm**

*bang*

 

"Benedikt, I want it done by today," said the manager. Benni's manager just throw a stack of papers on Benni's table. It is a really big stack of papers, around 3 centimeters thick. Normally this amount of tasks would take almost a whole day for Benni to complete it. But now Benni has only 2 hours. It would be a miracle to complete it within 2 hours. But he can't give up. He has to go to the game. The young man blazes through the tasks, sacrificing his toilet trips and his usual chit chatting with Lisa. He types twice as fast as he normally would. And he prays that the computer won't slow him down.

 

**5.24pm**

Sometimes miracles do happen once in a while, as Benni managed to complete the tasks on time. _Hallelujah._  He is now a very happy man. 

 

"Is this yours?" A man asked. He hands a piece of paper to Benni. Benni takes a look at the paper, and it is the report that he printed hours ago. So that's where the report went. So that man has been holding the report for hours. And only now the man decides to ask around.  _Okay, thank you very much_. The report is useless now as Benni has reprinted a new one and handed the report to his manager hours ago. Although Benni feels bummed, he still smiles and says a polite thank you to the man.

 

**5.59pm**

It's almost time to clock out from the office. Benni looks at the time from his desktop, waiting the time to turn 6 pm. He is counting every second of the time.

 

05:59:57... 05:59:58... 05:59:59... 06:00:00...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Aldi - A German supermarket chain store  
> [2] Bild - A german tabloid  
> [3] Deutscher meister - German champions
> 
> I am very aware that Bastian is already a Deutscher Meister years ago, it should be Weltmeister. But it's not an error, I twig it to Deutscher Meister to suit this fiction. If Bastian is Weltmeister that means Manuel is one too. But I don't want to make Manuel a Weltmeister yet because I guess it would be hard to keep their relationship a secret.


	3. Game On, Benni Bear!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benni goes to the game, remembering back the days he went through with Manuel.

**6pm**

The clock strikes 6 pm. Benni quickly clocks out and shuts down his computer. He says goodbye to Lisa and heads to the elevator. The elevator is open, just the right timing for Benni to get in. He smiles to everyone that he passes by, even to those people who didn't smile back. But Benni doesn't care. The only thing he cares right now is the Schalke game. The elevator door is closing, but there is a man trying to get in the elevator. Benni sees the man and pushes the elevator button to let the man in. 

 

"Danke[1]." the man said.

 

When the elevator reaches the ground floor, Benni comes out from the elevator and walks to the bus stop to wait for the bus. He puts his both hands in his jeans and taps his right foot while waiting for the bus to come. The young man can't wait to meet his boyfriend soon. Suddenly his phone rings. He picks up the phone, and it is Manuel's mom.

 

"Hello, Mrs Neuer." said Benni.

 

"Hi Benni, are you coming to dinner tomorrow?" asked Mrs Neuer.

 

"Yes. Of course." Benni replied.

 

They had a short conversation before Benni hangs up the phone. Benni didn't envision such a close relationship with his boyfriend's mom when they first met. Manuel's parents used to disapprove Manuel's homosexual relationship with Benni. There was nothing wrong with Benni. It's just that they are a little conservative about these things and they just couldn't accept this kind of relationship. But it didn't take long for them to accept Benni as he's such a sweet kid. Benni is one of those people who moms adore. He respects elders, he's polite, friendly, takes care of others and he always smiles. And now Manuel complains that his mom loves Benni more than her own son. But Benni doesn't mind that at all.

 

Benni's parents aren't warmed to Manuel in their first meeting either. Manuel had 3 girlfriends prior to their relationship. However, all of them didn't last for more than 6 months. There were also a number of rumours about Manuel's love life and it rubbed Benni's parents off. They were worried that Manuel wasn't serious with their son and it would end up hurting their son. But Manuel didn't give up. He proved to Benni's parents that he is serious about their relationship with honesty and sincerity. As time goes by, Benni's parents acknowledged it and accepts Manuel.  

 

Five minutes later, the bus comes. Benni hops on the bus that is heading to Veltins-Arena. The seats are already full so Benni just finds himself a place to stand. He stands beside a couple, who are arguing in the bus, and Benni can't help pondering at them. It reminds him the time he got into an argument with Manuel. And it was the one and only time he got into an argument with Manuel. It happened on the day Manuel came to see him after their 2 months long distance relationship.

 

_Bae: Benni, please pick up the phone._

_Bae: Benni, we need to talk._  

_Bae: Please let me explain._

 

Manuel has text Benni several times but Benni didn't reply those messages. There are also 23 missed calls from Manuel and Benni doesn't want to answer those calls either. He feels disappointed with his boyfriend. Benni has always trusted his boyfriend. He isn't a guy that is easily jealous. He is okay with Manuel looking at random eye candy strangers on the streets. Well, he secretly looks at them too. He knows that Manuel is a good looking, popular and talented man, and that would attract a huge number of fans. He knows Manuel will attract rumours as the paparazzi love to write about him. But this time, is different. It's not just a rumour. His boyfriend has cheated on him with a singer, and it's a pretty good looking one too. And they wanted to let the world know by posting it on Isabella's Instagram. Isabella posted a photo on Instagram kissing Manuel's cheek with the caption _I love you_ _@manuelneuer_. Benni was so devastated that he didn't have his dinner last night. He barely had any sleep either. His mind is full of thoughts about Manuel. Does Manuel still loves him? Or Manuel just treats him as a toy? Is Manuel came to see him just to break up with him? Should he forgive Manuel? Or should he break up with him? He thinks about the matter again and again in his room all night long. Eventually, he came up with a solution. Not a perfect one, but it's still a solution. He decides to break up with Manuel. He figured that it's better than being dumped.

 

Manuel came back to Benni's apartment the next morning to reconcile with his beau. The doorbell rings and Benni opens the door. He rolls his eyes when he sees Manuel.

 

"What do you want?" Benni asked.

 

"Benni, I need to talk to you." said Manuel.

 

"Let me talk first," said Benni. The young man insists on speaking first. He doesn't want Manuel to say it before himself.

 

"No, let me explain." said Manuel, who is trying to save the situation.

 

"I want to talk first!" Benni raised his voice. Manuel silenced. He nods to let Benni speak first, not to anger the young man further.

 

"Manuel, I know about her." said Benni, as he refers to Isabella.

 

"Is this about Isabella? It's not what it looks like." Manuel replied.

 

"What do you mean it's not what it looks like? It's kissing. It is what it is. People don't go around to kiss randomly." Benni said with an angry tone. He didn't buy Manuel's explanation. He finds it pathetic that Manuel still wants to twist the fact.

 

"I was just being friendly with her! She asked for a photo, but I didn't know she will kiss me!" said Manuel as he tried to explain about the photo.

 

"You don't know? That's absurd." Benni sneered.

 

"I mean... The point is... It doesn't mean anything!" Manuel replied. He tries to explain to his boyfriend but ends up making it worse.

 

"Kissing doesn't mean anything to you?" Benni replied. The younger man rolls his eyes and continues, "Unbelievable."

 

*click*

 

The door opens and both guys glance to the door. It is Mats. He just came back from his morning jog. Normally he would jog with Benni but the latter didn't have the mood to jog this morning.

 

"Woah, did I came back at the wrong time?" asked Mats. Both Manuel and Benni stare at him. Mats feels awkward and he is going to leave the couple alone, but Benni stops him.

 

"Mats, wait a second," said Benni as he marches over to Mats. He grabs Mats' head with both hands and plants a kiss on Mats' lips. The kiss lasts for 3 seconds. Benni then moves away from Mats. He feels so much better after kissing Mats. The young man is satisfied after he did that little revenge. Manuel stares at them. His sapphire eyes are glaring at Benni.

 

"What the hell was that?!" asked the clueless Mats. He freaks out by Benni's kiss.

 

"I'm just being friendly, Mats," said Benni with a smirk. He glances to Manuel after saying that.

 

"Benni, stop it!" Manuel yelled. His eyes pierce to Benni. He isn't pleased with his boyfriend's actions.

 

"Oops... I've forgotten about my appointment with Marco." Mats quickly said as he realises that something is not right with the couple. He dashes out from the door, leaving the couple alone in the apartment. After Mats left the apartment, there is silence in the room for a minute. Both men stood still and didn't move a muscle for a whole minute, staring each others eyes. Benni's eyes start to develop tears. Manuel takes a deep breath and exhales. He walks forward to Benni, and takes his phone from his pocket, hands it to Benni.

 

"Here. I'll let you check it if it makes you feel better." Manuel said as hands his phone. "I don't have anything to hide."

 

"I don't want to check your phone," said Benni. He felt that a relationship is meaningless if he has to check his partner's phone.

 

"Then what can I do to make you believe?" asked Manuel. He has no idea how to repair this relationship.

 

"I... I don't know." Benni replied.

 

Manuel goes to a one seat sofa and sits on it, and then signals Benni to come and sit with him. Benni just stood still. He pursed his lips and crosses his arms. He's still angry with Manuel. Manuel stands up and pulls Benni's hand towards the sofa. He says, "Come here, you silly bear. I need you to see something."

 

Benni drops on Manuel's lap cluelessly then Manuel wraps his arms on Benni's waist. The Schalke star taps on his phone for a few times to open a text message. It is a conversation between him and Isabella.

 

_Manu: Isabella, I thought I told you not to post the photo_

_Isabella: Sorry, I forgot :P_

_Manu: Please remove it._

_Isabella: No ;)_

_Manu: Please remove it. I'm not kidding here._

_Isabella: No. It's too late anyway. Everyone has seen it._

_Manu: Please. People will think that we're together._

_Isabella: Let them be ;)_

_Manu: But I don't want._

_Isabella: Then let's make it real ;)_

_Manu: No. I'm sorry. I'm seeing someone._

_Isabella: It's okay. I don't mind ;)_

_Manu: But I do mind._

 

Benni looks down the floor after reading the text messages. His face has turned red. His boyfriend didn't cheat on him. It was only the woman's intention all along. Manuel has acknowledged that he is in a relationship. The goalkeeper didn't have any intentions to cheat even though the woman had given in to him. All the doubts have been cleared. But now Benni felt that his kiss with Mats is pretty redundant. He felt bad for kissing Mats. He thought Manuel has cheated on him so he kissed Mats just to make his boyfriend angry. He felt bad for kissing Mats. But on the bright side, at least, he kissed a good looking guy instead of an old hag. So it wasn't that bad?

 

"Manu, I'm sorry I kissed Mats," Benni said sheepishly.

 

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it." Manuel replied. He kisses Benni's cheek and smiles to his boyfriend.

 

**6.45pm**

The bus reaches the stadium and Benni gets out from the bus. He walks to the stadium with the other fans. There are a lot of happy faces in the stadium, eagerly waiting for the game to start. Today Schalke is playing against Borussia Dortmund, which is their long time rival. The stadium is already packed with people wearing blue. The crowd is wearing Schalke jerseys and starts to sing the Schalke theme song. Soon, the players come out one by one, holding a kid with their hand. Manuel is the first one in the line. Benni flashes a smile when he spots Manuel. The captain looks around the crowd. He immediately smiles when he sees a familiar face. He mouths the words _I love you_ to Benni. Benni replies with a love hand gesture.

 

**7.00pm**

The game starts and the atmosphere have become intense. The opponent has already started attacking in the first few minutes, but Manuel and the defenders do not give in. They manage to defend the goal. There are a couple of free kicks in the first half, and Manuel manages to clear the ball for both times with ease. At the 22nd minute, the opponent's striker tries to score but Manuel closes the angle of the shot, causing the ball to go wide. Everything seems alright until the 36th minute, which is a corner kick when Manuel collides with one of the opponent's midfielder. The midfielder raises his arms high up to reach the ball, and elbows Manuel's head. The goalkeeper was catching the ball when he was elbowed by the midfielder. Manuel falls down to the floor. The referee stops the game and the medical staffs rush to the football field. It looks like a serious injury.

 

"Manu! Manu!" Benni shouted. He tries to get into the field but he is stopped by the security guards. The young man is worried about his boyfriend. He pleads the security to let him in, but they refuse to do so. He hopelessly watches Manuel from the crowd, but he couldn't do anything to help. The young man clenches his fist, and his heart beat increases. His heart bleeds as he watches his boyfriend suffers. He feels like crying.

 

"Bae, please be alright." he whispers to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Danke - "thank you" in German
> 
> Surprise! Surprise! Are you surprised?
> 
> Next chapter will be the last chapter!!! That's right, we're coming to an end!!!


	4. I Love You, Benni Bear!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Manuel has a little surprise for Benni.

**7.37pm**

Manuel is sitting on the ground, while letting the paramedics check his condition. His Schalke teammates are standing nearby, concerning their captain's condition. Benni couldn't do anything other than praying for his boyfriend's safety. The crowd is bickering about Manuel's condition. Rumours start to flow within the crowd. People are making their own assumptions about the injury and some of them aren't pleasant to listen to. Benni covers his ears with both hands. He can't stand listening to the crowd, who keep on saying negative statements. But still, he is able to listen those rumours echoed from his surroundings.

 

"Oh my god, it looks bad."

 

"It was a bad concussion. Is he still conscious?"

 

"I don't think he's able to play."

 

"Is that blood?"

 

Manuel gets up after a minute, gives a thumbs-up to his teammates signaling that he's okay. The paramedics allow him to continue. The crowd claps for Manuel as a sign of encouragement and the game resumes. But Benni doesn't want Manuel to continue. He is worried about his boyfriend's safety. Although Manuel doesn't show any signs of dizziness, Benni is still worried about him. Manuel could have an internal injury that couldn't be seen with the naked eye. Benni's heartbeat raises to a high speed, and he screams whenever the ball comes near the Schalke's goal post. The young man looks at his watch, praying that the time will pass faster. There were also times that Manuel leaves his goal post and tackles the opponent like an outfield player, giving Benni some panic attacks. _Stop the game, dammit. Please stop the game._

 

**8.00pm**

The first half has finally ended, with both teams having a goalless draw. The players went to the locker room to rest. Benni goes out to the canteen and buys himself a cheeseburger because his stomach is growling. He hasn't had his dinner because the young man rushes to the stadium as soon as he finished work. But the cheeseburger remains untouched because the young man doesn't have the mood to eat anything. He goes back to his seat with an empty stomach and a burger on his hand, staring at the empty field. Few minutes later, the players come back to the field, feeling pumped up. Manuel looks at Benni and smiles to his boyfriend. Benni tries to smile. _Since Bae is smiling, maybe his situation wasn't as bad as what everyone said?_   Benni finally feels a little bit relieved. The referee blows the whistle, signaling the start of the second half. There are some little changes compared to the first half. Manuel gives instructions and support to his teammates, and the team seems to play better in the second half. The defense became tighter and the offence players rose to the occasion. After 15 minutes entering the second half, Julian Draxler kicks the ball into the back of the net. It's 1-0 to Schalke. The other Schalke players run to Julian and congratulate him.

 

**9.10pm**

The game has ended with a 1-0, Schalke wins by a goal. Benni quickly heads to the changing room to meet his boyfriend. He slips through the crowd, but still making sure that he didn't bump into people. The young man runs as soon as he reaches the corridor that isn't crowded. He is then stopped by the security.

 

"No outsiders allowed beyond this area." the security guard said.

 

"I have a pass," Benni replied. He looks for the pass in his bag for 2 minutes, but he couldn't seem to find it. He has sworn that he had placed it in his bag this morning. He continues to rummage through his bag. The security guard taps his right foot, stares at Benni, impatiently waiting for Benni to admit that he's a just a by-passer.

 

"Found it!" He pulls out the tag and his face glows. The young man hands the pass to the security guard. The security took the pass and looks at Benni and the pass back and forth. He returns the pass to Benni and signals him to the dressing room.

 

"Danke!" Benni replied and runs straight to the changing room. He knocks the door. Julian opens the door. He smiles as soon as he sees Benni. The midfielder turns his head to back and says

 

"Manu, your boy is here."

 

Not many people know about Benni and Manuel's relationship. Only Manuel's teammates, both of their families and some close friends knew about them. Manuel has previously proposed Benni to make their love life public. The goalkeeper wanted to introduce Benni to the world as his boyfriend, but Benni insists on staying private. He likes it that way. He doesn't want to get any unwanted attention as he didn't date Manuel because of fame or money. He just loves Manuel for who he is. And Manuel respects Benni's decision. 

 

Benni smiles at Manuel. Manuel turns around as soon as he heard his name. Benni runs towards Manuel and jumps to the goalkeeper. Manuel catches his boyfriend with his strong arms as Benni hugs the goalkeeper tightly.

 

"You'll never grow up, do you?" Manuel said to his boyfriend. 

 

"Nope. I won't." Benni replied with a grin. 

 

Manuel lets Benni down. He gently kisses Benni on the forehead. Benni slowly strokes Manuel's forehead. The young man asks, "How is your head?"

 

"It's fine now," Manuel answers with a smile. He continues "Wait here, Benni. I need to take a quick shower."

 

Manuel walks away and takes some clothes before heading to the shower. Benni watches his boyfriend walks to the shower. And suddenly, his stomach alerts him. Benni just remembered that he haven't had his dinner yet. He takes out the cheeseburger that he bought at the stadium's canteen during halftime. He didn't eat any of it because the young man was too worried about his boyfriend. But now that everything is alright, Benni is able to eat with peace. He opens the wrapper and takes a big bite off the burger. The Schalke players leave the changing room one by one. Some of them say goodbye to Benni, which he responds back with a smile. Julian walks towards Benni with a smile on his face. And it's a pretty weird looking smile.

 

"You guys have fun tonight," he whispered to Benni, pats the young man's shoulder and winks at him before walking away with the rest of the team. _What was that supposed to mean?_ Benni scratches his head, trying to figure out why Julian said that. Manuel comes out a minute after Julian left, with a nice apple scent from the body shampoo. He packs his belongings into a black colour bag. After packing, he turns around to his boyfriend and says "Auf gehts[1]!"

 

Both men walk together to the car park, holding each other's hand. As soon as they reach the Audi, Manuel takes out the car keys from his pocket and gets ready to drive. Benni interrupts.

 

"Manu, you must be tired. Let me drive," said Benni.

 

Manuel looks at Benni and nods. He hands Benni the car keys. It is the first time Benni drives this car, and he's loving it. He loves the features of the car. The engine, the design, stereo... It isn't surprising that Benni never drove this car as this is just merely a month old car. Manuel got this car from his boss recently for leading the team to Champions League qualification. Benni adjusts the car seat and mirror, then starts the engine. He turns on the radio and adjusts the volume to the minimum, just enough to hear the music but not too loud as he wants to listen to his boyfriend's voice.

 

"This car is awesome!" Benni exclaimed.

 

"You can have it if you want." said Manuel. 

 

"Huh? No, no, no, I didn't mean that." Benni quickly replied. He didn't want Manuel to give him the car just because he likes it, and he prefers to get his own car by his own savings. Even if it's just a simple car. He continues "I'm going to buy a car soon."

 

"Well, why would you? I have a spare car. Or do you prefer to take the Volkswagen? I can't drive them all in once, you know." said Manuel.

 

"Erm... I'll think about it, okay?" Benni replied.

 

Manuel sighs, knowing that Benni wouldn't accept anything fancy from him. There's only one time that Benni lets Manuel pay fully, which is the Italy trip. And that is because it was a graduation gift from Manuel. Benni quickly changes the topic to the earlier football game. The young man lets his boyfriend talks about his game until the latter becomes tired.

 

Benni stops the car at the red light. He glances to Manuel and realises that Manuel has slept soundly in the passenger seat. Benni loves watching Manuel sleep. He thinks it's really cute. The young man slowly leans forward towards Manuel and tries to kiss his boyfriend, not realising that the traffic light has already turned green. As he is going to touch Manuel's lips, a sound interrupts his moment.

 

"BEEEEEEEEEEPPPP!!!"

 

"Dammit!" he muttered. Benni goes back to his original driving position and continues to drive.  

 

Manuel wakes up from the noise with his eyes opened wide. He asks, "What happened?"

 

"Nothing. Some people are just rude." Benni replied, glaring to the car behind. 

 

**10.24pm**

Both men finally reach Manuel's house. Benni places his bag on the sofa as he sits on it. Manuel heads to the fridge to grab some ice cream. 

 

"Benni, would you like to have some dessert?" Manuel asked. "I have some Nutella ice cream."

 

"Really? I didn't know Nutella ice cream exists. Enlighten me." Benni replied with a flirtatious tone, his eyebrows raise.

 

Manuel gets the ice cream from the freezer, scoops few scoops to a big bowl. Benni waits for his boyfriend at the dinner table with his chin place on his right palm. He looks at Manuel with anticipation. Manuel joins him with the bowl of ice cream in his hand. The goalkeeper spoons the ice cream and feeds his lover, as both men' eyes gazing towards each other. Benni slowly licks the remaining ice cream from his mouth to lure his lover. Manuel drops the spoon, leans forward and smack his lips to Benni. He slips his right hand on Benni's face and the left hand to Benni's waist, pulling his beau closer to him. Manuel nibbles Benni's soft wet lips, and then slides his tongue and lingers it. The chocolatey flavour in Benni's mouth makes the kiss sweeter than usual. It makes Manuel hunger for more. Benni pulls away to catch some breath, he looks at his lover who is breathing hard and couldn't help to smile widely. They continue to eat the half melted ice cream by feeding each other with a new spoon.

 

**11.12pm**

After the sweet dessert, Manuel asks Benni to dance with him. He dims the lights, turns on the stereo and selects a song from Journey called 'Open Arms'. Benni wraps his arms around Manuel's shoulder while Manuel wraps his on Benni's waist, and they dance around with the song with eyes glued to each other. Benni then leans his body slightly to Manuel's body, until their chest sticks with each other. He can feel Manuel's heartbeat, and it is coherent with his. Manuel's heartbeat feels like a relaxing melody to the young man's heart.

 

"Benni," Manuel said.

 

"Hmm?" Benni murmured. He looks at Manuel's blue sapphire eyes.

 

"It's been 5 years since we first met," Manuel said.

 

"It's 5 years 3 months and 21 days." Benni corrected him. 

 

"Erm... anyway..." Manuel said sheepishly. "I'm blessed that you've walked into my life. With you, there is no pressure. I can be my own self without worrying about anything. You are always so kind, so understanding and you never demand anything. I feel so comfortable when I'm around you. You complete my imperfections."

 

Hearing what Manuel has just said, Benni is literary speechless. He doesn't know how to respond to his lover. His face has turned into a cherry tomato. Manuel smiles to him. The goalkeeper takes out a tiny box from his pocket. You know, the ones that look like a ring box. Manuel opens the tiny box, and inside the box, it is the shiniest thing that Benni has ever seen.

 

"Benedikt Höwedes, would you marry me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Auf gehts - "Let's go" in German
> 
> Like all my fictions, I love to put songs into my stories. Open Arms is Benni and Manuel's song. I chose this song because I just felt that this song suits this couple. It describes nicely about their long-distance relationship and their trust towards each other. Mariah Carey also did a cover of this song. Love it. 
> 
> It's the end of this story, hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading. 
> 
> And now you can read my other story "I'm only me when I'm with you", which is a prequel of this story.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one-shot sequel for People Fall in Love in Mysterious Ways, but I got carried away. It's not related to that story anymore. It was supposed to be another pairing, but I thought Benni/Manuel needs a shout out too! I love their bromance.
> 
> Some reference including life reference (office parts), Taylor Swift's Ours music video. Well, this story is my therapy, I love writing about this one. It's probably my favourite work so far.
> 
> So this story is about having a working life balance. Not everyone can choose their job, and the only way to make our lives happier is spending our time in the best possible way after working hours.
> 
> Playlist:  
> I'm Feeling You - Michelle Branch & Santana  
> Open Arms - Journey (Mariah Carey's version is top notch)  
> Terrified - Katharine McPhee ft. Zachary Levi  
> Say It Again - Marié Digby  
> These Words - Natasha Beddingfield
> 
> If you like it please give me a kudos. Share it with your friends. Please tell me anything in the comments and I will try my very best to improve :) Every kudos, comment, subscription and bookmark means the world to me. Thank you :D
> 
> Yeah, you can follow me on [Tumblr](http://fearlesskiki.tumblr.com/) and [join the FBD Book Club!](https://footballblogsdirectory.tumblr.com/post/160746377878/welcome-to-the-fbd-book-club-this-is-a-place-to)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [I'm Only Me When I'm with You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4066138) by [Fearlesskiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fearlesskiki/pseuds/Fearlesskiki)




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